Category: Coastal News

Image of geological samples from the seafloor that were collected via box core on April 14, 2026, in U.S. waters off American Samoa. (Image credit: USGS)

NOAA Releases First Images of Nodules from Waters Near American Samoa

4/24/2026 - By noaa.gov, noaa.gov. New images and samples were collected during 2026 efforts to map and characterize the seafloor in federal waters off American Samoa NOAA released today the first images of geologic seafloor samples from a hydrographic survey project to map and characterize more than 30,000 square nautical miles of federal waters in the… SEE MORE

Gray Whale Population Decline Along the West Coast Raises Alarm for Coastal Communities

4/22/2026 - By Norris Comer, best4boats. Three dead gray whales discovered in Washington state waters in a single week in early April have renewed concerns about a troubling decline in the East Pacific gray whale population. For boaters, whale watchers, and coastal communities along the West Coast, these deaths are part of… SEE MORE

Staying Connected on the Water: How Boaters Are Integrating Starlink With Onboard Internet Systems

4/21/2026 - By Arnie Hammerman, best4boats. Reliable internet access aboard has gone from a luxury to a near-necessity for many cruising boaters — whether for weather updates, navigation, communication with marinas, or simply staying in touch. While Starlink has been a game-changer for offshore connectivity, a practical guide from Best4Boats makes the… SEE MORE

Sea Grant Aquaculture Leadership Academy participants tour a Sandbar Oyster Company oyster and salt marsh restoration project North Carolina. (Photo by LaDon Swann)

Minnesota, Texas Sea Grant Programs to Lead Next Aquaculture Leadership Academy

4/19/2026 - By seagrant.noaa.gov, seagrant.noaa.gov. The Sea Grant Aquaculture Leadership Academy will continue for the next two years with Minnesota Sea Grant and Texas Sea Grant at the helm. The leaders will include Fisheries and Aquaculture Extension Educator Julia Grenn and Extension Program Leader and Aquaculture Extension Educator Amy Schrank, both of… SEE MORE

Will We Ever Float a Boat on the Moon? NASA’s Artemis II Explores Lunar Water

Coastal News

4/17/2026 - By Norris Comer, best4boats.com. It may be the ultimate "destination" piece. With NASA's Artemis II crew completing a record-setting flyby of the moon in April 2026 — the farthest any manned mission has traveled from Earth — a new article from Best4Boats takes a playful but informative look at one… SEE MORE

WHOI Scientists Use Drifters to Track Hidden Currents in Cape Cod Bay

4/15/2026 - By MARGARET GREGORY, whoi.edu. For anyone who fishes, boats, or harvests shellfish in Cape Cod Bay, the water beneath the surface is doing more than it appears. A team from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is deploying GPS-tracked drifters and running ocean models to map how currents move water, nutrients, and… SEE MORE

Aviation Weather Center monitors showing the tools used for weather forecasting.

NOAA improves aviation forecasts to bolster U.S. air travel efficiency, safety

4/14/2026 - By noaa.gov, noaa.gov. Passengers, pilots, and crew: Get ready for greater peace of mind. Starting in late March, a new NOAA weather forecast system will provide improved prediction of two aviation hazards that pose threats to flight safety and create anxiety among passengers: airplane icing and turbulence. Covering the contiguous… SEE MORE

The NOAA Ship Rainier conducts a seabed mapping exercise in the Pacific in 2022. (Image credit: NOAA)

NOAA Ship to Map Potential Critical Mineral Deposits in U.S. waters of Pacific Ocean

4/13/2026 - By noaa.gov, noaa.gov. In early April, the NOAA Ship Rainier will begin to map and characterize more than 8,000 square nautical miles of federal waters off Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. This project is part of the Department of Commerce's implementation of the U.S. Offshore Critical… SEE MORE

A carpet of colorful (mostly yellow and orange) wildflowers in California with red-toned mountains in the distance. Wildflowers bloom at Carrizo Plain National Monument on March 12, 2026, in Santa Margarita, California. California’s deserts and hills are seeing a colorful wildflower bloom this spring after a wet winter. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Spring Outlook: Drought Forecasted to Expand in U.S. West, Parts of Plains

4/11/2026 - By noaa.gov, noaa.gov. Drought conditions are forecast to worsen or develop for many areas in the West and south-central Plains, according to NOAA’s Spring Outlook released today for April through June. Forecasters from NOAA’s National Weather Service also predict above-normal temperatures for the majority of the U.S. “Factors influencing NOAA’s Spring Outlook include… SEE MORE

Image of Hurricane Milton from NOAA's GOES-16 satellite on Oct. 8, 2024. (Image credit: NOAA)

National Hurricane Center to Issue New Forecast Cone Graphics for 2026 Hurricane Season

4/10/2026 - By noaa.gov, noaa.gov. Other product enhancements include Hawaii Storm Surge Watches & Warnings As part of a suite of product improvements for the 2026 hurricane season [PDF], NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) is implementing two new tropical products and services: a new operational hurricane track cone map, and new storm surge alerts… SEE MORE